Episode 751

“I salute your wickedness, but there’s one thing you’re overlooking. Do you really think you can escape with my help alone?”

Antagondals’ point was sharp.

Although the crazy doppelgänger was unstable mentally, magically he was overwhelming.

He had been an archmage in ancient times, and now that he’d thrown off the limits of a living body and become a magic-will entity, he was basically an extradimensional monster.

Even for Antagondals, sneaking past such an enemy’s eye was not easy.

At minimum, Antagondals would have to go at him directly—meaning certain death.

It would be better to just let the Wardanaz boy report him.

Losing a few lives, at least, he could get out that way.

“I never intended to rely solely on your help to get out. There will also be help from outside.”

“The Bone Marquis? The Bone Marquis can’t come. Wake up from that dream.”

Antagondals sneered when Lee Han seemed to expect the skeleton principal.

The Imperial Bone Marquis was a wizard so great that the title archmage felt insufficient, but there was no such thing as an existence without a weakness.

This crazy doppelgänger, while rather indifferent to most intruders or other mages, was acutely sensitive to any approach by his main body.

If the Bone Marquis showed up, a battle would start instantly.

And that battle would bring such destruction to earth and domain that all of Einrogard would be ruined.

‘The lord of Einrogard could not withstand that kind of sacrifice.’

Especially since the domain lord wasn’t intervening even now, despite a rude outsider running amok—this proved it.

What foreigner anywhere in the Empire could behave so arrogantly and keep their life in Einrogard’s domain?

“Why would the Bone Marquis show up?”

But Lee Han’s reply was so indifferent that it made even Antagondals’ sneer falter.

Antagondals was a little taken aback.

“Isn’t he the master here—lord of Einrogard, principal? Of course he’d step in for a student!”

“There’s no way. I think the principal is leaving me here as a good learning opportunity.”

“No… way…”

Antagondals found himself unintentionally defending the skeleton principal, for no real reason.

Of course, the magical criminal himself thought it was a good chance to learn magic.

You might lose your life, but how often do you get the chance to study ancient magic? That was a fair price to pay.

But the Imperial Bone Marquis didn’t seem the type to leave Lee Han here just for that.

If he was that kind of wizard, why would he have accepted the position of Einrogard’s domain lord in the first place…

“Ha! Who would know better—a student like me, or you, a magical criminal?”

“……”

“In any case, those helping me from outside are other students. They’re going to break through the archmagic stretched over these mountains.”

Lee Han didn’t trust the skeleton principal, but he did trust Direte.

He was sure his senior would gather his friends and open a path.

“Students! If they can break the spell from outside, that’s great.”

Antagondals gathered himself and answered.

If someone outside disturbed the magic, the crazy doppelgänger would have no choice but to focus on repairing it.

Spreading archmagic over such a wide area meant that even a single crack would take a lot of effort to fix.

That would divert his attention, giving Antagondals a chance to create a passage elsewhere in the spell.

Still, there was a problem with this plan.

“But there’s no way students could damage this magic. Like I said, you’re underestimating your master!”

“Aren’t you underestimating my senior? You don’t even know who they are!”

Just then, the whispers of Einrogard brought new communication.

A message from Direte. Faint letters streamed up quickly.

-Junior. Right now, a bunch of students are trying to break the magic, but we’re making no progress. I’m sorry…

“……”

“What’s wrong?”

“My senior says they’ll soon shake up the magic and open a path.”

Lee Han put on a poker face and bluffed. Then quickly wrote back.

-Please don’t worry! I mastered a 5th-circle spell. I’ll be fine for a while.

-……

• * *

Even though a new week had begun, the -Junior Rescuers Campground- was bustling with students.

Students from every club came and went, trying to strike at weak points in the magic and crack it open.

Inside the magic tent at the very center of the camp, Yukbeltire lifted a magic schematic with a thoughtful face.

“No attack works… It’s beautiful.”

“Beautiful? Are you crazy? We worked all weekend and haven’t even made a scratch, and that’s what you say?”

“Direte. Dismissing a magic just because you don’t respect it, or disparaging magic beyond your level, that changes nothing—”

“Shut up. You’re useless. And I’m not helping with your research.”

“!”

Yukbeltire stared at her friend in shock.

How could he be so rude and insulting?

“But you promised.”

“I said I’d help if it was useful. Has it helped? You useless sorcerer. Should’ve just called Professor Verdus!”

“How could you say that? You can’t see the contribution of having analyzed the magic?”

“Analyzing only matters if it actually helps!”

Direte grabbed the magic schematic and threw it into the air. Flustered at her friend’s abuse, Yukbeltire quickly explained,

“This magic I’m preparing will deal a real blow once it’s done—”

“You said it’d take half a year!”

“I could bring it down to five months…”

“Fine. Get out!”

“Both of you, calm yourselves. The juniors outside will hear and get worried.”

Illeg intervened anxiously.

The two, usually close friends, often quarreled, but today it had gone too far.

“Direte, is something wrong?”

“Is something wrong? My junior could die any moment, and she’s saying her spell will take five months!”

“If he dies within the domain, he can be resurrected—”

“That’s not something to say right now, Yukbeltire.”

Illeg hastily tried to shut up the princess.

Leave them to it, someone might end up dead here before the junior does.

Direte, having burst out, slumped down with a sigh.

“He just sent word that he’s mastered a 5th-circle spell. He’s probably trying to keep us from worrying.”

“He could actually have done it, couldn’t he?”

At Illeg’s words, both Direte and Yukbeltire objected at once.

“Do you even hear yourself??”

“Chaegla. There are limits to overestimating juniors.”

“……”

The club president looked slightly sullen.

If it was the Wardanaz junior, with his talent, maybe it really could be…

Yukbeltire, a little cautious of Direte, cleared her throat and spoke.

“Direte.”

“Yukbeltire. Choose your next words carefully. If you get me worked up… Remember two years ago? This’ll be just like that.”

“……”

Yukbeltire hesitated, then scribbled something on a paper and showed it to Illeg.

Then she whispered softly.

“Does this seem safe for Direte to hear, even in his current state?”

“Please, keep your voice— Yes, I think it’s alright.”

Upon Illeg’s confirmation, Yukbeltire nodded and asked,

“It’s Wednesday, right?”

“Yes.”

“And the junior’s still alive.”

“Yes.”

“Then I think you can discard your weekend death hypothesis. The junior could outlast your expectations—”

Illeg hurriedly whispered,

“You didn’t show me that last part. Why add your own line?”

“I was just trying to encourage Direte the way he’d want.”

“I don’t think it’s helping. Please stop.”

“……”

Direte, overhearing, fell silent in thought.

Unlike what he’d feared, it seemed his junior was holding up well under the crazy doppelgänger.

He didn’t know how he was persuading him, but…

‘Could he really have mastered a 5th-circle spell?’

It seemed the least likely, but nothing else fit.

“Yukbeltire.”

“What is it?”

“Professor Verdus sent a letter.”

A letter flew into the magic tent.

With a graceful motion, Yukbeltire picked it up and tossed it into the bonfire in the clearing.

“Is that really okay, burning it like that?”

“Of course, it’s fine. It’s nothing important.”

Yukbeltire answered confidently at her friend’s concern.

It undoubtedly asked her to make and submit some artifacts for Professor Verdus again this term.

If he wanted to see the artifacts, that was his own job, not Yukbeltire’s.

“Let’s get more students involved and try to shorten the time. At least let’s get him out before the holidays. Chaegla, can I ask you a favor?”

At Direte’s words, the spectacled bear beastkin nodded warmly.

“It would be my pleasure to help a junior. What do you need?”

“Threaten some juniors to drag them over, please.”

“……”

Illeg looked a little wounded.

• * *

“Professor Garcia?”

“Yes, Professor Baegrek.”

“We should probably put a fresh gag on Professor Verdus.”

“Ah. Thank you.”

Professor Garcia waved his staff, strengthening the gag over Professor Verdus’s mouth.

The spell was nearly finished.

“Mmmm! Mmrrph!”

Professor Verdus squirmed on Professor Garcia’s shoulder, but the sealing magic was perfect.

There was always a reason a distinguished professor of Einrogard might suddenly be kidnapped and dragged to the mountains.

One had to go back to the night before.

-Professor Bible! Are you there?

-Come in! Agh!

The two professors visiting Professor Verdus’s workshop subdued and kidnapped him.

Professor Verdus had fended off his share of attack-investors and assassins sent by sponsors.

His workshop was always well-defended, but his fellow professors were stronger than expected.

“You know this has to be kept secret from the principal, right?”

“Of course.”

Professor Garcia, perhaps a bit anxious, asked Professor Voladi once more.

Unlike other professors, this vampire professor was impossible to read.

‘Lee Han, hang in there a little longer.’

The skeleton principal had told the faculty not to interfere and to wait, but the professors of Einrogard were not known for obedience.

Professor Garcia decided to trust in his reliable colleagues rather than the principal.

First, Professor Baegrek, a solid combat mage.

Thankfully, he had a close mentor-student relationship with Lee Han, so he agreed immediately.

Next, Professor Bible, an excellent enchanter.

She, too, had a close mentor-student relationship with Lee Han, so Professor Garcia made his decision at once.

-Let’s kidnap her.

-Understood.

As expected, Professor Bible agreed to the kidnapping and joined the effort.

-I’ve summoned my student! They’ll come rescue me!

-Don’t bluff, professor. You didn’t have time.

-No! My workshop has measures for this!

Unfortunately, he was too noisy and had to be gagged, but all preparations were in place.

“Fortunately, the students have found the arcane portal and are working there. Let’s go there and try to break through as well.”

Professor Voladi nodded and drew a sharp stone from his robes.

Professor Garcia recognized it at once.

Suffused with tremendously potent magical power, that was…

‘An ancient relic!’

Where did he get that?

“I borrowed it from the principal’s office. Let’s use it.”

“……”